ICC Women World Cup: Australia’s Gardner tests COVID positive

ICC Women World Cup: First Covid positive case Australia star allrounder Ashleigh Gardner has become the first COVID positive case in the Women’s Cricket World Cup. She will at least miss a couple of matches for Australia in the showpiece tournament. The development comes even after a hard quarantine upon players’ arrival in New Zealand. Follow Women’s Cricket World Cup latest updates on InsideSport.IN

ICC Women World Cup: First Covid positive case in Women WC, Australia’s Gardner tests positive

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She will now isolate for 10 days in Christchurch, New Zealand and thus ruled out of England & Pakistan matches. She is expected to return for 3^rd game against New Zealand on March 13 subject to a negative COVID report.

“All remaining Australian players and support staff have tested negative following subsequent RATs,” Cricket Australia said in a statement.

“(They) will proceed with existing plans to travel to Hamilton this evening ahead of the side’s opening match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup against England on Saturday.”

ICC Women World Cup: First Covid positive case in Women WC, Australia’s Gardner tests positive

Annabel Sutherland and Grace Harris are possible replacements for Ashleigh Gardner.
The World Cup will kick start on Friday, March 4 with hosts New Zealand taking on West Indies in Mount Maunganui.
The daily caseload in New Zealand has risen beyond 22,000 this week as MOH has ensured only a 10 per cent crowd limit for the tournament.
As per the ICC, female support staff can enter the playing XI in case of a significant COVID outbreak. The matches will proceed even if a minimum of 9 players are available.
Heather Graham and Georgia Redmayne are Australia’s travelling reserves.

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington. Travelling reserves: Heather Graham, Georgia Redmayne

Here is the full schedule of the 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup (all timings are in IST):
March 4: New Zealand vs West Indies in Tauranga (6:30 am)
March 5: Bangladesh vs South Africa in Dunedin (3:30 am)
March 5: Australia vs England in Hamilton (6:30 am)
March 6: Pakistan vs India in Tauranga (6:30 am)
March 7: New Zealand vs Bangladesh in Dunedin (3:30 am)
March 8: Australia vs Pakistan in Tauranga (6:30 am)
March 9: West Indies vs England in Dunedin (3:30 am)
March 10: India vs New Zealand in Hamilton (6:30 am)
March 11: Pakistan vs South Africa in Tauranga (6:30 am)
March 12: India vs West Indies in Hamilton (6:30 am)
March 13: New Zealand vs Australia in Wellington (3:30 am)
March 14: Pakistan vs Bangladesh in Hamilton (3:30 am)
March 14: South Africa vs England in Tauranga (6:30 am)
March 15: Australia vs West Indies in Tauranga (3:30 am)
March 16: India vs England in Wellington (6:30 am)
March 17: New Zealand vs South Africa in Hamilton (6:30 am)
March 18: Bangladesh vs West Indies in Tauranga (3:30 am)
March 19: India vs Australia in Auckland (6:30 am)
March 20: New Zealand vs England in Auckland (3:30 am)
March 21: West Indies vs Pakistan in Hamilton (6:30 am)
March 22: Australia vs South Africa in Wellington (3:30 am)
March 22: India vs Bangladesh in Hamilton (6:30 am)
March 24: South Africa vs West Indies in Wellington (3:30 am)
March 24: England vs Pakistan in Wellington (6:30 am)
March 25: Bangladesh vs Australia in Christchurch (3:30 am)
March 26: New Zealand vs Pakistan in Wellington (3:30 am)
March 27: England vs Bangladesh in Christchurch (3:30 am)
March 28: India vs South Africa in Wellington (6:30 am)
March 30: Semi-Final 1 in Christchurch (3:30 am)
March 31: Semi-Final 2 in Wellington (6:30 am)
April 3: Final in Christchurch (6:30 am)